glab-stack

name

glab-stack

description

Manage stacked diffs (stacked merge requests) using the glab CLI. Use this skill whenever the user wants to break a large change into a chain of smaller, dependent merge requests, or when they mention stacked diffs, stacked PRs, or stacked MRs. Trigger on phrases like "create stacked MRs", "split my changes into stacked diffs", "stack my commits", "glab stack", or any stacked diff workflow. Note: this is an experimental glab feature.

GitLab Stacked Diff Management (Experimental)

Use glab stack to create a chain of small, dependent merge requests from a large set of changes. Each stack is an independent MR that builds on the previous one, making code review easier.

Note: This is an experimental feature. Behavior may change in future glab versions.

Workflow Overview

main
  └── stack-1 (MR #1: auth changes)
        └── stack-2 (MR #2: user profile changes)
              └── stack-3 (MR #3: dashboard changes)

Create a New Stack

Start a new stack from the current branch:

glab stack create

Save Changes to the Current Stack

After making code changes:

glab stack save

This stages and commits changes into the current stack entry.

Amend the Current Stack

Modify the most recent stack entry:

glab stack amend

Navigate Between Stacks

glab stack next      # move to the next stack (child)
glab stack prev      # move to the previous stack (parent)
glab stack first     # jump to the first stack
glab stack last      # jump to the last stack
glab stack switch    # interactive stack picker

List All Stacks

glab stack list

Reorder Stacks

glab stack reorder

Interactive reordering of the stack chain.

Sync to GitLab (Create / Update MRs)

glab stack sync

This pushes all stack branches and creates or updates the corresponding MRs on GitLab. Each MR targets the previous stack's branch, forming a chain.

Behavior Guidelines

1. When to use stacks: Recommend stacked diffs when a feature involves multiple logical layers (e.g., database schema → API layer → frontend). It makes each layer reviewable independently.
2. Sync often: Run glab stack sync after each stack save to keep the remote MRs updated.
3. Experimental caveat: Always mention that this feature is experimental and the workflow may differ from the user's expectations. Point to glab stack --help for the latest usage.
4. Base branch: The first stack in a chain targets the project's default branch (usually main).
5. Amend vs save: Use amend to update the most recent stack without creating a new one; use save to add a new stack entry.